Sydney welcomes 2026 with spectacular fireworks display
Sydney in Australia welcomes 2026 with a spectacular fireworks display – although our correspondent says joy was tempered by sadness following the Bondi Beach attack earlier this month
Sydney in Australia welcomes 2026
An atoll in the Pacific nation of Kiribati was the first place in the world to start the new year – one tourist there tells us he marked it “on a beach with no satellites, no signs of human life, complete darkness and countless crabs”
We’ve also spoken to people celebrating in Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Guam, and New Zealand’s remote Chatham Island – which entered 2026 just 15 minutes after Kiritimati in Kiribati
Meanwhile, a UK pharmacist has already seen in the new year in Samoa – and is later “time-travelling” to American Samoa to do it again
Happy New Year to Australia’s Northern Territory, including Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek.
They’ve welcomed in 2026 and hour-and-a-half later Sydney – take a look back at their spectacular fireworks.
With the turning of the year comes the unavoidable question: what’s your new year’s resolution?
Over the last few days, we’ve been asking our reporters and editors in BBC’s New Broadcasting House to submit their own. Here’s a selection:
Owen Amos: “I will try to pick up 365 pieces of litter in 2026.”
Nabiha Ahmed: “Finish a book a month, ensuring a variety of genres. No DNFs allowed.”
Malu Cursino: “Go for a walk – big or small – everyday. Rain or shine, I want to step outside and soak in the day.”
Cachella Smith: “Note down one good thing that happens every day – there will always be something that prompted a smile.”
Jack Grey: “Start cycling again for fun – eventually completing a 100km cycle.”
Deirdre Finnerty: “Run the Dublin marathon with my sister and brother. Nothing like a bit of sibling rivalry to boost inspiration.”
Australia’s Sydney began 2026 with a fireworks display held under an enhanced police presence, weeks after gunmen killed 15 people at a Jewish event in the city.
Organizers held a minute’s silence for the victims of the attack at 11:00 p.m. local time (12:00 GMT), with the Harbor Bridge lit up in white and a menorah, a symbol long used to symbolize Judaism, projected onto its pylons.
New Year 2026: Kodagu police issues instructions against consumption of drugs and noise pollution
The Pacific island nation of Kiribati became the first country in the world to welcome 2026 as the clock struck midnight in its Line Islands, marking the official start of New Year’s celebrations globally.
Countries including New Zealand and Australia are next in line to usher in 2026, with large public gatherings and fireworks displays planned in major cities. Several Asian nations, including Japan, South Korea, China, and India, will follow shortly thereafter.
Cyberabad police roll out free shuttle service to ease New Year Eve traffic congestion.
The Cyberabad Police, in coordination with the Society for Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC) and the traffic police, launched a free shuttle service from midnight on December 31 to ease congestion at key New Year celebration hubs and ensure safe movement of partygoers.
The shuttle service is operating from One Golf, Babylon, ADP OneWest, SLN Terminus, Sarath City Mall and InOrbit Mall, ferrying commuters to nearby metro stations and designated cab pick-up points. Services are being routed towards JNTU metro via Raidurg metro and the Cyber Towers area.
Sydney brings in New Year with nod to victims of Bondi attack
Organizers held a moment’s silence for the victims of the attack at 11:00 p.m. local time (12:00 GMT), with the Harbor Bridge lit up in white and a menorah, a symbol long used to symbolize Judaism, projected onto its pylons.
“After a tragic end to the year for our city, we hope that New Year’s Eve will provide an opportunity to come together and look with hope for a peaceful and happy 2026,”Sydney‘s Lord Mayor Clover Moore said ahead of the event.
Australia’s Sydney began 2026 with fireworks display
Australia’s Sydney begins 2026 with a fireworks display held under an enhanced police presence, weeks after gunmen killed 15 people at a Jewish event in the city.
Sydney‘s annual New Year’s Eve celebrations are known globally for their spectacular fireworks, with 40,000 pyrotechnic effects stretching seven km across buildings and barges along its harbour, including the city’s iconic Harbor Bridge and Opera House.
Sydney in Australia has greeted 2026 with a spectacular fireworks display
Although our correspondent says happiness was tempered by sadness following the Bondi Beach attack earlier this month.
An atoll in the Pacific nation of Kiribati was the first place in the world to start the new year – one tourist there tells us he marked it “on a beach with no satellites, no signs of human life, complete darkness and counting crabs”.
Sydney Harbour’s spectacular fireworks display did Australia proud this year. More than a million people rang in 2026 by the water – and coveted viewing spots filled up early.
But after the antisemitic attack at Bondi in which 15 people were killed, there has been understandable reflection from both revelers and police about hosting such a huge event.
On the streets of Sydney was what Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, called a “different type of policing operation”, including heavily armed officers. They were there to keep people safe, he said, while also urging partygoers to show defiance by enjoying the evening.
There was time for contemplation too – at 23:00 local time, Sydney Harbor fell quiet for a minute, with crowds holding lights to remember the victims of Bondi. And a Jewish menorah was projected on to the pylons of the Harbor Bridge.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in his New Year’s Eve address, acknowledged the difficulty of celebrating.
The joy usually felt at the beginning of the new year was tempered by the sadness of the old, he said, adding that the response to the events of 14 December also showed the best of Australian spirit in all of its courage and compassion.
Thousands of heavily armed police officers are patrolling the streets of Sydney as people mark the new year – a rare and stark sight in Australia, following the Bondi Beach mass shooting.
Some officers were authorized to carry high-grade weapons as part of elevated security measures. The attack on 14 December targeted Australia’s Jewish community and killed 15 people at a Hanukkah festival.
New South Wales (NSW) Police said more than 2,500 officers would be on duty throughout the city.
Official New Year’s Eve parties were paused at 23:00 local time (12:00 GMT) for a minute’s silence to commemorate the victims of the attack, while the Sydney Harbor Bridge was lit up by a white light to symbolize peace.
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